The annual deer population management program at Montgomery Parks will take place from September 2025 to March 2026.This year, the program adds two more parks.Little Bennett Creek Stream Valley Park near Clarksburg and Oak Ridge Conservation Park in Damascus.
According to Montgomery Parks, the program, which includes 75 parks total—roughly 60% of Montgomery Parksland—manages deer populations using firearms, archery, and Park Police-based sharpshooting.There is a comprehensive online schedule of program dates and venues.
The deer management program was established by Montgomery Parks 29 years ago in order to address the issue of deer overpopulation, which can lead to increased disease incidence, excessive damage to the environment, private landscapes, and agriculture, as well as deer-automobile accidents.
Montgomery Parks wildlife ecologist David Petersen stated that the goal of our deer management programs is to reestablish a positive interaction between deer, humans, and the environment.We’re striving to ensure a healthy deer population while addressing community concerns, protecting natural habitats, and enhancing public safety. Our residents’ safety and wellbeing continue to be our first priorities.
There are rural, suburban, agricultural, and urban areas in Montgomery County. Deer populations thrive in edge habitats that are rich in food and cover due to the combination of farmlands, natural areas, and developed areas. Excessive local deer populations are caused by a combination of ideal conditions, little hunting, and a lack of other natural predators.
Participants in managed hunting programs use or contribute deer meat, and Park Police-based sharpshooting operations have donated over 411,500 pounds of meat to the Capital Area Food Bank.
Sharpshooting activities are carried out at night by highly skilled and certified Park Police sharpshooters with permission from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, while managed deer hunting is limited to pre-screened and qualified program participants.Prior to the annual program’s execution, signs are put up at park entrances, parking lots, trails, and in the neighborhoods around the parks that are impacted.
Additional information can be found online under the Department’s frequently asked questions on deer management.Questions or comments about deer management programming can be sent to Montgomery Parks, Attn: Public Information Office, 2425 Reedie Drive, 2nd Floor, Wheaton, MD 20902, or [email protected]. To ensure proper record-keeping and answers, kindly provide your complete name and address.
